I just love the idea of giving your wedding guests a fancied-up name tag to don throughout the day! There are always a lot of names to be learned at a wedding, and these sweet escort card buttons would certainly do the trick! Plus, they act as a special keepsake (read: favor) long after your grand exit. And even if you don’t want to have buttons calligraphed or designed with guests individual names, providing buttons with a special monogram, bridal party roles or even which “side” the guest is there for is a fun way to bring yet another finishing touch for your day! — Kelly

So I’ve talked a lot in the past about black and white day-of wedding stationery because, really, can you go wrong with that combination!? But today, prepare for a full on color-fest! An illustrated color-fest, to be exact. I’m a sucker for illustration, especially when it’s whimsical and colorful. While you may have already considered it for your wedding invitations, have you thought about added a little hand-drawn or watercolored detail to your wedding menus? You will after this! — Kelly

January is a time of natural reflection, and it seems like most of us are in the process of looking back on the past year and getting ready for the changes to come. 2012 was obviously a big year for me and my family; we found out we were expecting a baby in early 2012 and welcomed our little Sophie to the world in September. This past year was a complete whirlwind from start to finish, and while I’m not the type to set resolutions, I thought it would be good for me to talk a bit about of my goals and thoughts for the next twelve months…

This is our big challenge for 2013, and I’m both excited and absolutely terrified at the same time. In early December, my husband and I found out that our current landlords are planning a complete renovation of our rented rowhouse – so we have to find a new place to live by the end of March. And while we were hoping to buy a home of our own in the near future, we also hoped to have a bit more time to save and prepare. Well, I guess there’s no time like the present! The DC real estate market is both super expensive and extremely competitive, which is the part that makes me nervous, but I’m trying to remain optimistic that we’ll find the right place in our timeframe.

This isn’t exactly about finding work/life balance, although that can be even more difficult when your work is done inside your home, but more about keeping everything in perspective. I absolutely LOVE what I do and cherish the opportunity to share beautiful paper goods with all of you every day, but I know that I can sometimes lose the big picture when I’m focusing too hard on my daily to-do list or when I fall victim to feeling like I have to constantly keep up with what everyone else is doing. This year, I’d like to do a better job of letting go of things that aren’t really that important in the long run and instead focus on what is best for me and my family, whether that’s spending more time with friends or just dedicating an entire afternoon to my daughter (away from email) without feeling guilty.

I’ve been a night owl my entire adult life, and I got into the terrible habit of doing blog work at night when I was still working in a regular office during the day for those first couple of years. So while my nighttime habits may have worked just fine when I was 25 (and pre-Sophie) it’s definitely starting to catch up with me now that I’m in my 30s. It may seem like a relatively small goal, but for me it’s going to be a major (and much-needed) overhaul – one that I think will make me much more productive and happy in the long run.

So! Those are my goals for 2013 – and now, as always, a few links for your weekend:

Pretty dish towels that are (almost) too nice to use! (p.s. Congrats on the new design Kelly!)

You may also enjoy:

Once you’ve mailed your wedding invitations and are spending your days waiting expectantly by the mailbox for replies, you might start thinking about all those other lovely paper details needed for your big day. One such detail is the ceremony program.

So, what exactly is a ceremony program?

Ceremony programs should outline for guests a basic run-down of what will occur during the ceremony. They often also outline who’s who in the wedding party and families of the couple. Some types of information you may want to include in your program:

• Order of events: this might include processionals, readings, prayers, the exchange of vows, etc.

• Specific details about the ceremony: this could include specific music that will accompany the wedding party processional, names and origins of readings, music heard or performed throughout the ceremony, etc.

• Any notes or explanations about specific cultural or personal traditions that will take place during the ceremony

• Any notes of remembrance for friends or family who are no longer with you or who were unable to attend

• Any notes of thanks to your friends and family for their presence and guidance

Of course, your program should be a reflection of your event, your personalities and what feels right to you. There is no wedding police and every program is different so do not feel that you need to include everything listed above. Instead, just think about what you would want to or care to read if you were a guest at your wedding.

What do ceremony programs look like?
Ceremony programs come in all shapes and sizes and those shapes and sizes largely depend on the amount of content you’d like included and your vision for the piece!

Will you be including each reading and prayer written out? Then perhaps a traditional bound booklet or flip-style program will work best and provide the most room for larger amounts of content.

Getting married on a hot summer day? Program fans are fun and functional!

Opting for a minimalist style or on a tight budget? Flat panels provide a perfect space for a to-the-point program.

Feeling creative? Programs can be designed in all sorts of creative ways to complement your event style, themes or your venue. Scroll programs for an English garden wedding? Sure! A chalkboard program for a sweet backyard bash? Of course!

The sky is the limit to how creative, or how sweet and simple, you can make a ceremony program and, in the end, as long as the schedule ends with you getting married, it will be a success!

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That Girl Press is a boutique letterpress and design studio specializing in wedding invitations and social stationery. Owner and principal designer Anita Brown has a passion for classic illustrations and patterns, bold typefaces and splashes of color.